Congressman Clever and local Goodwill CEO spoke in support of New Overtime Rule
(Kansas City, MO)- Congressman Cleaver held a press conference at the Goodwill GoodWORKS Career Center on Thursday, October 27th, 2016. Congressman Cleaver spoke in support of the DOL’s New Overtime Rule that impacts millions of salaried workers. This Rule automatically extends overtime pay eligibility to 4.2 million salaried white collar workers on December 1st, 2016. Future automatic updates will occur every three years beginning January 1, 2020.
Stefany Williams, President and CEO of Goodwill of Western Missouri & Eastern Kansas, also spoke in support of the new rule during the press conference. Williams stated, “Goodwill’s vision of self-sustainability for people who have been marginalized is bolstered each time workplace conditions change with a focus on the employee.”
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 gave most Americans the right to a minimum wage and time-and-a-half pay for working more than 40 hours per week. These rules did not apply to some white collar workers whose salaries and duties exempt them from overtime pay. The FLSA salary threshold was updated in 2004 for the first time since the 1970s. The 2004 update left millions without overtime protection. Current thresholds provide overtime protection to just 7 percent of full-time salaried workers compared with 62% in 1975.
Increasing the number of workers eligible for overtime pay leaves employers with three options. The employer may increase their employees’ salaries to meet the new standard. The employer may limit their employees work week to 40 hours or pay overtime for work exceeding 40 hours.
At Goodwill, Williams expressed her perspective, “As an employer, we appreciate the value of the overtime change. Through open dialogue with the 34 employees impacted, the feedback was very positive. There is more awareness on how time is managed, more opportunities for personal and process efficiencies and, ultimately, more positive impact on work-life balance.”
For further information about the key provisions of the Final Rule regarding overtime. Please visit: https://www.dol.gov/WHD/overtime/final2016/
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Goodwill of Western Missouri & Eastern Kansas is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit agency whose mission is to empower people with disadvantages and different abilities to earn and keep employment through individualized programs and services. One hundred percent of Goodwill’s proceeds support LOCAL programs that empower job seekers with barriers to employment. In 2014 nearly 1.5 million purchases and 450,000 donations funded our mission. Goodwill has a history of more than 120 years of service in Kansas City. The first Kansas City Goodwill store opened in 1925. The agency has 14 stores with additional donation sites and GoodWORKS Career Resource Centers. Learn more at www.mokangoodwill.org. To see all the good we do together, follow us on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
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Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, and also a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. A high-resolution photo of Congressman Cleaver is available here. For more information, please contact Heather Frierson at 816-842-4545 or Heather.Frierson@mail.house.gov.
